MILAN – Nakipagsabayan ang mga Pinoy accessories companies sa iba’t-ibang bansa sa isa sa pinakamalaking trade fair sa Italy.

Mga handmade at eco-friendly jewelry na gawang Pinoy ang ilan sa mga mabenta sa Europeans sa Artigiano in Fiera sa Milan.

Hindi nagpahuli ang Pinoy jewelry maker na Unijel, na dinala ang kanilang world-class products na gawa sa natural at environment-friendly materials gaya ng carabao horns, shells, plant seeds, bamboo at abaca fiber.

Ipinagmamalaki ni Unijel owner Lucy de Belen ang mga makukulay na kwintas na binabalik-balikan ng kaniyang suking Italian clients sa ikalimang taon niya sa Fiera.

“Ang mga tao, especially mga Italians, they wear these things. Isinusuot talaga nila and they are so happy because we use natural materials. We combine it with synthetic materials,” sabi ni de Belen.

Ang Floreia naman ay gumagamit ng Nucast o upcycled paper at Naturecast o agro forest debris na imbensyon ng mag-asawang Kathy at Peter Delantar.

“We are here in Milan, Italy to showcase Filipino ingenuity because we invented the material called Nucast which is 100% eco-friendly and at the moment, we are serving 40 countries all over the world and they are starting to appreciate the Nucast and Naturescast material as a good symbol of commitment towards sustainability,” sabi ni Kathy.

Bukod sa eco-sustainable products ng Floreia ay tumutulong din ito na makapagbigay ng trabaho sa mga battered at unemployed women at local communities sa Cebu.

“I was really amazed because it’s a really beautiful product; never seen anything like this before. I really appreciate it,” sabi ng customer na si Simona de Biazio.